Drive-in bank teller operating system and mechanism

ABSTRACT

There is disclosed an improved drive-in bank teller&#39;&#39;s operating system and equipment whereby the teller may simply drop (or cause to be dropped) items to be conveyor-returned to a customer into a receiver whereupon the items are automatically packaged for delivery to the customer by way of the conveyor system.

United States Patent Taggart Jan. 21, 1975 [54] DRIVE-IN BANK TELLER OPERATING 3,339,337 9/1967 Rapp 53/180 SYSTEM AND MECHANISM 3,359,703 12/1967 Quaadgras.... 53/180 X 3,446,328 5/1969 Boyce l94/DlG. 9 B Inventor: g gg 16 Avalon 3,492,783 2/1970 Dohmeier 53/180 x Snyder, NY. 14226 [22] Fil d; J n, 25, 1974 Primary Examiner-Travis S. McGehee Assistant Examiner--.l0hn Sipos [21] Appl' 436607 Attorney, Agent, or FirmBear1 & Bean [52] U.S. Cl. 53/180, 194/DIG. 9 B [57 ABSTRACT I [51] Int. Cl B6Sb 9/06 l [58] Field of Search 53/28, 177, 180, 182; dlsclmed f drwe'm bank 194/4 R DIG 9 232/44. 109/19 operatmg system and equipment whereby the teller may simply drop (or cause to be dropped) items to be [56] Rem-fences Cited conveyor-returned to a customer into a receiver whereupon the items are automatically packaged for UNITED STATES PATENTS delivery to the customer by way of the conveyor sys- 2,914,244 11/1959 Wheeler 234/44 tam, 2,971,303 2/1961 Simjian 3,059,840 10/1962 Graber 232/44 10 Claims, IO' DraWing Figures 26 I 32 V l5 &1 9 ,78 1

PATENTEB JAN21 I975 SHEET 2 OF 4 FIG.3

IIL

DRIVE-IN BANK TELLER OPERATING SYSTEM AND MECHANISM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to an improved bank teller operating system and equipment therefor, and more particularly relates to an improved system for operation of the so-called drive-in" bank tellers window unit. Such arrangements typically comprise a bay type window unit located either in the form of an outpost separate from a conventional bank building or as a protrusion from a bank building side wall into a driveway through which bank customers may travel by automobile and transact their banking business while being still seated in their automobiles. Such arrangements conventionally provide the windowpanes of the unit to be of bullet-proof glass, and a two-way voice communication system is usually provided whereby the teller and the customer may converse while the teller is totally protected behind the window glass. In one type, an extendible-retractable drawer is mounted so as to be slidable back and forth through the wall of the unit between positions for convenient access to the customer and to the teller, respectively. By way of example, such a system is disclosed in US. Pat. No. 2,722,179. In other instances the drive-in unit is more remote from the tellers station and intercommunicated therewith by means of a closed circuit TV and audio system, and a pneumatic tube type conveyor system. In other instances the pneumatic tube system is used in combination with a line-of-sight arrangement between the customer and the teller, with or without an audio augmentation system. In case the pneumatic'tube transfer system is used the teller operates and controls the conveyances between the customer and teller in generally similar manner.

In any case the teller first causes the drawer (or tube carrier) to move outwardly to within reach of the customer, whereupon the customer places his deposit, or withdrawal, or cash-changing, or check-cashing materials, as the case may be, into the drawer or carrier (hereinafter referred to as drawer). The drawer is then caused to retract into the teller unit so as to enable the teller to take the'materials from the drawer. The teller thereupon processes the material and prepares an appropriate record form(s) for return to the customer and places them back in the drawer along with any appropriate currencies or other items such as may be called for.

It is quite prevalent for the teller to be supplied with paper or plactic envelopes into which the teller places the return items including currency bills and coins before placing then in the drawer, as a convenience to the customer when he withdraws his receipts from the drawer. In event no such envelopes are employed by the teller, withdrawal of the customers return items from the drawer involves substantial inconveniences and loss-hazards especially in event of inclement or stormy weather at the time; and for this reason such envelopes for this phase of the transaction are almost universally employed.

However, the handling of such envelopes by the teller involves substantial extra labor on the part of the teller and delays the overall operation. This materially slows down each customer transaction at the teller's window; thereby inconveniencing the line of waiting customers as well as substantially increasing the cost to the bank of teller service for each transaction.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION The present invention contemplates provision (in connection with the working counter of a drive-in bank teller) of a tellers assist mechanism which includes a receiver such as an open slot conveniently located to the teller into which the teller may drop (or cause to be dropped) the appropriate currency coins, bills. bankbooks, deposit slips, and the like, requisite to completion of a customers banking transaction; in combination with means adapted to receive such materials and to automatically package them in a sealed pouch or packet, whereupon the packet is delivered to the transfer device which thereupon moves outwardly for delivery of the package to the customer. The entire operation is preferably automatic or at least semi-automatic and under control of the teller. Thus, the system of the invention eliminates necessity for the teller to handle any envelopes or the like and/or to insert bills, coins, slips, bankbooks or other such return" materials therein. Notwithstanding this elimination of a substantial portion of the modern day drive-in tellers operation, the transaction in accordance with the invention system terminates with delivery to the customer of a sealed (but conveniently openable) package containing his return materials. It is to be understood that the present invention is applicable with equal facility to existent teller counter and transfer systems of the drawer or pneumatic tube types requiring minimal modifications to the existent set-up, or may be incorporated as original equipment in any new tellerunit construction; and in any case will result in substantial time and cost savmgs.

SPECIFICATION By way of example only, an embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:

THE DRAWING FIG. I is an interior view of a typical drive-in tellers window unit, having a tellers-assist mechanism of the present invention installed at one side of the usual counter unit;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but illustrates how the assist mechanism of the invention may alternatively be installed under the countertop, if preferred;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged scale side elevational view of the assist mechanism of FIG. 1 with internal portions thereof indicated by broken lines;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view thereof;

FIG. 5 is an end elevational view taken as suggested by line 55 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of one example of a packet for currency, etc., such as may be delivered to the customer in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary enlarged scale sectional view taken as suggested by line 77 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 8 is a disassembled view of a hot wire" type knife such as may be employed in the apparatus as will be explained hereinafter;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken as suggested by line 9-9 of FIG. 8; and

FIG. 10 is a diagram typifying a suitable control system for the operative components thereof.

DETAILED SPECIFICATION As shown at FIGS. 1 and 2, the invention is applicable to a bank tellers unit such as may typically include front and side wall window panes 10, 12, 14, formed of bullet-proof glass or the like enclosing a work counter 15. There is usually provided a voice communication appliance as indicated at 16; and as illustrated herein by way of example a conveyor system comprising an alternately extendible-retractable drawer 18 is provided for transfer of items as explained hereinabove. The tellers work unit may also include one or more drawers, cubby holes, or the like as indicated at 20, 21, 22; as is conventional in the art.

In accordance with the present invention a return item packaging mechanism is provided within convenient reach of the teller; and by way of one example only an embodiment thereof is illustrated herein generally by means of numeral 25. As shown at FIG. 1, the packaging unit may be set on top of the counter 15, and if desired a coin delivery or coin changer device 26 of any suitable type may also be set up on the counter 15 in association with the packaging unit. Alternatively, as shown at FIGS. 2-5, the packaging unit may be installed beneath the countertop l; and again, a suitable coin delivery unit may also be used in conjunction therewith if desired; all of which will be explained in more detail hereinafter.

As best illustrated at FIGS. 3, 4, 5,7, 8, 9, the tellers assist unit 25 may be conveniently housed in a generally rectangular casing 30, the top of which includes a hopper shaped slot-like opening 32 (FIG. 1) into which the teller may conveniently slide-drop such bills, coins, passbooks, deposit slips, or the like as may be required to complete a customers banking transaction. Or, in event the unit 25 is installed beneath the tellers counter as illustrated at FIG. 2 the countertop will be appropriately slotted as indicated at 34 to guide deposited materials into the hopper 32 of the unit 25.

As shown at FIGS. 3, 4, 5, the unit of the illustrated example carries interiorly of its casing bearing devices 36-36 which are adapted to receive the opposite spindle ends of-a single supply roll of a web or ribbon type packaging material as indicated at 38;

whereby when it is withdrawn therefrom as shown at 40 by means of a pairof vertically standing pinch rolls 42-42 as will be explained more fully hereinafter, it will be initially in flatwise web or ribbon form as it comes from the roller. It is then guided into a V-shaped sectional configuration by means of a V-shaped plate 44 whereby the packaging web material is presented under the hopper 32 in a V-shaped or U-shaped sectional form suitable to receive and retain any items falling thereinto. Inner guide plates as shown at 46-46 (FIG. 5) are also suggested to assure proper guidance of the upper edges of the web relative to the hopper.

After each loading of the package receiver as will be explained hereinafter the rolls 42-42 are caused (under control of the teller) to pull the web 40 away from the guides 44-46 and the marginal edges thereof are then brought together by the rollers as illustrated at 48 (FIG. 4) into flatwise contiguous relation so as to enclose the customer return items previously dropped thereinto by the teller. Incidental thereto the web material is adhesively (or otherwise locked together)around the perimetral delineations of the pouch as shown at 49 (FIG. 6) such as are requisite to provide a securely sealed packet as illustrated at 50 enclosing the customer return items. Thus, in the case of each customer transaction the items to be returned to the customer are secured in an individually sealed cell as the teller operates the mechanism so as to advance the loaded packets 50 in accordance with one banking transaction after another. A packet separation device is provided to sever each successively loaded packet from the supply web when it projects beyond the pinch rolls 42-42; whereupon the packet (FIG. 6) falls into the transfer device 18 for delivery to the customer. Suitable guide means may be provided to direct the falling packet to slide in any desired direction into the conveyor 18.

It is to be understood that the web material may be of any suitable sheet-like form such as may be supplied in roll form and which will readily peel off when pulled upon by the rolls 42-42, and which will thereupon assume the desired V or U-shaped packet form under the hopper 32 as explained hereinabove. For example, the web material may be of any suitable plastic or rubber or paper or metal (foil) form; and may be ei ther transparent, translucent, or opaque, as may be preferred. If. an adhesive is employed to seal the contents within each packet space, the adhesive may of course be of any suitable type, any may be either pre-applied to the web or applied thereto incidental to the roll compressing operation. For example, the web may be pregummed so as to be self or pressure-sensitive" to only itself when pressed together to enclose the banking transaction return items to which the adhesive does not adhere.

Or, the arrangement for completing and sealing each pouch may comprise any suitable device for applying fresh adhesive to only appropriate portions of the web material just prior to its passage through the rolls 42-42. Or, the arrangement may comprise a device for heat-sealing, or crimping, or stapling the packet sheet material together along with appropriate marginal edge portions 49 of each pouch section; such as may be preferred and as may be performed by a variety of mechanisms which are presently known to the packaging industry.

Further by way of example the pouches may be formed by use of a packaging technique which employs separate rolls of web or ribbon materials which are brought together in flatwise contiguousrelation. so as in any case to initially provide under the hopper 32 an open mouth pouch into which the customers return items may be dropped as explained hereinabove. US. Pat. No. 3,776,798 discloses a variety of methods such as might be useful in this regard; and thus it is to be understood that any suitable packeting mechanism may be employed so that following each deposit of a customers return items into the hopper 32 the teller may simply press (or otherwise actuate) a control switch or the like to cause the mechanism to advance the customers pouch so that it will proceed through the sealing rolls (or other closure device) and then through the pouch separation station; whereupon the sealed pouch is caused to fall into the conveyor for delivery to the customer.

Only by way of further example the rolls 42-42, as best shown at FIG. 4, are preferably provided to comprise spindles carrying resiliently compressible cylindrical wrappers which are adapted (as each packet is drawn through the rolls) to squeeze the marginal edges of the packet material snugly together. Thus the roll wrappers may be formed of any one of a large variety of suitable materials such as sponge rubber, foamed plastic, non-woven or inter-woven fibers, or bristles, or combinations thereof, or the like; so long as the wrappers adapt the rolls to accommodate protruding central portions of each pouch while at the same time exerting appropriate sealing pressures against the marginal edge portions 49 of the pouch, such as is necessary to deliver a securely closed packet as illustrated for example at FIG. 6.

As shown at 51, 52, the sealing arrangement is preferably provided as as to leave two opposite edge portions of the web material free for convenient grasping by the customer to facilitate his later opening of the pouch. As shown at 53, 53, in FIG. 7 herewith, the rolls 42 may be spring-biased toward one another if preferred, so as to avoid any possible locking of the mechanism in case the resiliency characteristics of the roller wrappers are exceeded. As shown by way of example herein a suitable packet cut-off mechanism may comprise a hot wire or knife as shown at 54 (FIG. 8, 9) carried by a frame 56 mounted on a rocking pivot 58; the knife 54 being backed-up" by bolsters 5959.

The entire system will preferably be electric powered, and as illustrated herewith the device may include a motor and control compartment which is generally indicated at 60 in which is housed a motor (hereinafter referred to as M2). Motor M2 is provided to drive the sealing rolls 42-42; and as illustrated at 62 a drive belt from the motor may also be supplied to rotate the feed roll 38 in synchronism with operation of the rolls 4242, to facilitate unwinding of the web supply roll. An electrical control system will be provided so that the operative components of the mechanism may be caused to operate in proper sequence simply by the triggering of a teller-controlled lever switch such as is illustrated at 75. The circuit of FIG. herewith is an illustrative embodiment of a control system such as may be employed. Independent control of the conveyor transport operation between teller-access and customer-access positions is also preferably provided for by means of push button or other type switches such as are indicated at 76, 78. These switches are wired to control reverse-direction operations of the conveyor drive motor which is designated M1 in the drawing at FIG. 10, and is operational as explained in the description hereinafter.

Note that the control. console mounts the three switches 75, 76, 78 so as to be conveniently located for manual control by the teller. With respect to operation of the conveyor drawer 18, momentary closure of switch 76 by the teller will energize the relay 82 to close the normally open contacts 84and 86; the latter of which constitute part of a holding circuit for the relay 82 and which holding circuitincludes the normally closed conveyor-actuated switch 88. The other contacts 84 close a circuit to the control switch 90 to energize the conveyor-operating motor M1 in such direction as to move the conveyor out to the customer use position. It is preferred that the control system be low voltage energized, whereas the operating motors preferably operate at ordinary line voltage. Thus, the control switch 90 may conveniently be of a conventional form in which two different control input leads 94, 96, are employed; one of which will cause connection of the motor M1 to the supply line 92 for operation in one direction, whereas a signal at the other input lead causes the motor to be connected for operation in the opposite direction.

. Note that as soon as the conveyor 18 reaches the customer-use position the switch 88 is automatically opened and thereby opens the relay holding circuit and deenergizes the motor Ml. For returning the conveyor 18 to its teller-access position the teller depresses the switch 78 to energize the relay 98. The two relays 82 and 98 and their control connections are essentially identical; the conveyor-actuated switch 100 forming part of a relay holding circuit, and one of the pairs of relay contacts 102 providing the motor-reversing signal at the lead 96, thereby to cause the motor M1 to operate in reverse direction until the conveyor reaches the teller-access position whereat the switch 100 is opened.

When the teller desires to initiate the return item packaging and delivery operation, he momentarily depresses the lever switch 75. The relay 108 is thus energized to close its contacts 110 and 112; the latter of which form part of the relay holding circuit. In this case, however, the switch 114 associated with the holding circuit includes a pairof normally closed contacts forming a switch 114' and a pair of normally open contacts forming a switch 114". This switch is operated by a cam 116 driven from the packaging system drive motor M2. Thus, when the switch 75 is depressed and the relay 108 energized, the contacts 110 will energize the control switch 118 to connect the motor M2 and the wire knife 54 to line voltage; thus advancing the packaging web while at the same time heating the wire knife. In FIG. 10 the resistance of the wire 54 is represented as the resistor R.

As noted hereinabove, the pouch, after being formed and sealed with be advanced to a position above the conveyor 18 at which point the cam 116 opens the holding circuit switch 114" for the relay 108. The cam switch 114 at this time serves two further functions;

one being momentarily energize the relay 82 and the other being to mementarily energize the relay 120; both actions occurring as the cam 116 coasts through its switch-actuating position thus to close the switch 114 momentarily. The relay 82 functions as above described, whereas the relay 120 is provided to rock the hot wire knife 54zupon its pivotal support 58 thereby severing the pouch from the supply webbing and allowing it to drop into the conveyor. For this purpose, the holding circuit for the relay 120 includes the knife-actuated switch 122; the relay being effective to energize the knife-motion-actuating solenoid 124 through the medium of the switch 126; the switch 128 being in the holding circuit for the relay 120.

I claim:

1. A semi-automatic banking system comprising in combination;

A. a powered conveyance for transfer of customer deposit and return items between relatively remote teller-access and customer-access positions; operation of said conveyance being under control of the teller;

B. a teller-assist mechanism located at the teller's work station and including a hopper into which the teller may cause customer return items to be deposited, a powered packaging device including means for presenting open packets in series under said hopper to receive such return items and then under control of the teller to provide a separate sealed packet for each batch of such return items so deposited by the teller and to advance each such separately sealed packet to a point of delivery to said conveyance while advancing another open packet into receiving position under said hopper; C. a first power control system enabling the teller to selectively operate said conveyance to move between teller-access and customer-access positions; and

D. a second power control system enabling the teller to initiate an automatic return item packaging and delivery sequence of operations by said system following deposit of customer return items to said hopper.

2. A banking system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said return items drop by gravity into said packets and said packets drop by gravity into said conveyance.

3. A banking system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said packets are formed from continuous web flexible sheet material and are individually sealed perimetrally of the return item contents and then severed from said web material.

4. A banking system as set forth in claim 3, wherein said packets are sealed by passing between paired pinch rolls.

5. A banking system as set forth in claim 4, wherein vsaid pinch rolls are powered and pull said web to advance said packets.

6. A banking system as set forth in claim 5, wherein said web is composed of flexible plastic sheet material having a surface application of pressure-sensitive selfadhesive material non-adherent to foreign objects.

7. A banking system as set forth in claim 6, wherein said adhesive is applied to only marginal portions of the web material comprising each packet 8. A banking system as set forth in claim 6, wherein the individually loaded packets are severed from the web material by a hot wire knife.

9. A banking system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first and second power control systems are integrated.

10. A banking system as set forth in claim 9, wherein said control systems are so integrated as to enable the teller to actuate said second control system so as to automatically cause said web material to be advanced so as to cause a loaded packet to be marginally sealed and then to be severed from the web material and delivered into said conveyance and said conveyance to thereupon transfer the loaded packet to the customer-access position, all in proper sequence. 

1. A semi-automatic banking system comprising in combination; A. a powered conveyance for transfer of customer deposit and return items between relatively remote teller-access and customer-access positions; operation of said conveyance being under control of the teller; B. a teller-assist mechanism located at the teller''s work station and including a hopper into which the teller may cause customer return items to be deposited, a powered packaging device including means for presenting open packets in series under said hopper to receive such return items and then under control of the teller to provide a separate sealed packet for each batch of such return items so deposited by the teller and to advance each such separately sealed packet to a point of delivery to said conveyance while advancing another open packet into receiving position under said hopper; C. a first power control system enabling the teller to selectively operate said conveyance to move between telleraccess and customer-access positions; and D. a second power control system enabling the teller to initiate an automatic return item packaging and delivery sequence of operations by said system following deposit of customer return items to said hopper.
 2. A banking system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said return items drop by gravity into said packets and said packets drop by gravity into said conveyance.
 3. A banking system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said packets are formed from continuous web flexible sheet material and are individually sealed perimetrally of the return item contents and then severed from said web material.
 4. A banking system as set forth in claim 3, wherein said packets are sealed by passing between paired pinch rolls.
 5. A banking system as set forth in claim 4, wherein said pinch rolls are powered and pull said web to advance said packets.
 6. A banking system as set forth in claim 5, wherein said web is composed of flexible plastic sheet material having a surface application of pressure-sensitive self-adhesive material non-adherent to foreign objects.
 7. A banking system as set forth in claim 6, wherein said adhesive is applied to only marginal portions of the web material comprising each packet.
 8. A banking system as set forth in claim 6, wherein the individually loaded packets are severed from the web material by a hot wire knife.
 9. A banking system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first and second power control systems are integrated.
 10. A banking system as set forth in claim 9, wherein said control systems are so integrated as to enable the teller to actuate said second control system so as to automatically cause said web material to be advanced so as to cause a loaded packet to be marginally sealed and then to be severed from the web material and delivered into said conveyance and said conveyance to thereupon transfer the loaded packet to the customer-access position, all in proper sequence. 